Tag: environment

A new test, conducted by scientists from the State University of New York, shows that bottled water has microplasticparticles in them.

250 bottles of water from nine different countries were examined. More than 90% containedtiny pieces of plastic. Sometimes concentrations were as high as thousands of plastic pieces per litre of water. Only 17 examined bottles were free of plastic. On average, 10 plastic particles, about the width of a human hair, were found in each litre of water.

The companies, whose bottled water was examined, claim that their production met the highest quality standards. In most cases, the plastic gets into the water through the packaging process.

Although the results are not catastrophic scientists and doctors are concerned. However, they state that there is no proof that the smallest particles of plastic can cause damage to your body. Most of it is turned into waste which leaves the body through faeces.

Apart from bottled water, plastic particles have also been found in beer, tap water, seafood and even in the air.

Bottled water is the fastest growing beverage in the world. Currently, about 150 billion dollars worth of water is sold worldwide. Packaged water is especially important for millions of people around the world who do not have access to safe drinking water.

Bottled water – Image by Ravitave

Words

access = the ability to get something

although = while

beverage = hot or cold drink

bottled water = drinking water that is sold in a bottle; sometimes it has bubbles in it

claim = to say that something is true

concentration = the amount of something in a liquid

concerned = worried

conduct = carry out

contain = to have in them

currently = at the moment, now

especially = above all

examine = to test or look at somehting very closely

faeces = solid waste that leaves your body after a certain time

microplastic particles = very very small pieces of plastic

packaging process = the method used to put water into the bottle

proof = facts that show something is true or correct

quality standards = level of quality a company accepts in its products

safe = clean

scientist = a person who is trained in science and works in a lab

state = to say officially

tap water = water that comes naturally from a tap rather than a bottle

Polar bears could become extinct faster than predicted. That is because there is a shortage of food in their habitat and scientists have now found out that polar bears need more energy than previously thought.

As a result of global warming, Arctic ice is melting quickly, so that polar bears have to travel further in search of food. In a study that has spanned the last three years, scientists found out that polar bears have to travel one and a half times more than in the past. As a result, they lose weight.

Experiments conducted with modern technology show how polar bears move and behave. High-tech GPScollars were put on 9 female polar bears. Their movements and energy consumption have been tracked over a period of 12 days. Results show that a few of them lost up to 10%of their weight.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, polar bears spend half of their time hunting for something to eat. They rely mostly on young seals as the main source of food, but the seal population is getting scarce because of the melting ice.

A polar bear needs about 12000 kilocalories a day to stay healthy and even more to put on the body fat it needs to survive the winter months.

Over the past ten years, the number of polar bears has declined by 40%. Ice on their habitat, Arctic Sea ice is decreasing at a rate of 14% per decade. It is currently at its lowest level in 40 years.

Polar bear feeding on a dead seal – Image: AWeith

Words

according to = as reported by …

behave = act in certain situations

body fat = here: the fat an animal needs to protect itself from the cold weather

collar = band of leather or plastic that is around an animal’s neck

conduct = carry out

currently = at the moment

decade = ten years

decline = to go down

decrease = become lower

energy consumption = the amount of energy you need and use up

extinct = to die out and not exist anymore

global warming = increase in the atmosphere’s temperature caused by more carbon dioxide and other gases

further = a longer distance

GPS = system that shows where your position is on earth through a system of radio signals

habitat = natural home of a plant or animal

lose weight = become thinner

melt = when ice turns into water

predict = to say that something will happen before it does

previously = at an earlier time

rely = here: eat

scarce = not very much left

scientist = person who is trained in science and works in a lab

seal = large sea animal that eats fish and lives near coasts

shortage = not enough

source = where something comes from

span = period of time between two events

study = piece of work that is done to find out more about a subect

survive = stay alive

track = monitor, watch closely

World Wildlife Fund = organisation that wants to protect the environment and save animals and plants

Coca-Cola, the world’s largest soft drink corporation, is planning to recycle all of its bottles and cans by 2030. The company wants to take on more responsibility and make its contribution to saving our environment. The company sells over 500 types of fizzy drinks, juices and mineral water around the world.

Coca-Cola has announced a campaign called “World Without Waste“. It says that food and beverage companies are responsible for much of the litter that can be found on streets and beaches.

The company said it wants to increase the amount of material that can be recycled in its products. By 2030 Coca-Cola aims at making 50% of all the content in bottles and cans recyclable. It also intends to advise users on how to recycle products best. Coca-Cola plans to worktogether with local governments and environmental groups.

On the other side, Coca-Cola has also stated that that packaging is important because it can reduce the amount of spoilt food and can extend the shelf life of food products.

Greenpeace, one of the most important environmental organisations, has welcomed the move but also said that the company should focus especially on reducing the amount of plastic that is produced. Plastic bottles are a major problem because plastic does not break down and degrade quickly. It is eaten by animals and fish and ends up in our food chain.

Words

advise = to tell someone what they should do

aim = something you want to do

amount = how much of something

announce = to say officially, in public

beverage = hot or cold drink

campaign = series of actions you do to achieve something; movement

contribution = something that you give or do in order to be successful

corporation= large company with factories around the world

degrade = is a material that changes to a simpler form

environment = air, water and land that is around us

especially = above all

extend = make longer

fizzy drink = sweet, non-alcoholic drinks with bubbles of gas

food chain = when a smaller plant or animal is eaten by a larger one, which itself is eaten by something larger etc..

government = people who rule a country

increase = to make more

intend = plan

litter = waste that is thrown to the ground

major = very important

move = action, plan

packaging = container that a product is sold in; made out of plastic, aluminium or other material

recycle = to use something over and over again

reduce = lower

responsibility = something that you feel you must do because it is a good thing

shelf life= the length of time that a product, especially food, can be kept in a shop before it becomes too old to be sold

spoilt food = here: food that cannot be eaten anymore because it has already started to decay

The European Union has released plans to recycle all plastic by the year 2030. It wants to ban all types of plastic that can only be used once. The measure comes as a consequence of China’s decision to ban imports of foreign plastic that is to be recycled in in the country. Currently, the EU exports half of its collected plastic, most of which goes to China.

The European Commission also plans to reduce plastic waste that is washed up on North Sea, Atlantic and Mediterranean shores. According to the new proposal, it will be illegal to dump plastic waste in the open seas.

Although the EU does not want to introduce a tax on plastic yet, it does aim at the development and production of new kinds of plastic that can be recycled in Europe. EU countries produce 25 million tons of plastic every year but only a fourth is recycled. It takes plastic hundreds of years to degrade.

The EU wants to invest 300 million euros to develop better plastic materials. The new strategy aims at making plastic recycling more profitable.

While the production of one-time-only usable plastic items, like drinking straws, coffee cups and takeaway packaging is to be reduced, families should also be persuaded to cut down on plastic usage altogether.

Non-EU countries are also consideringcracking down on plastic. Some countries have already started to tax the use of plastic bags. Iceland has announced that it will ban all plastic packaging for domestic products.

Plastic waste

Words

according to = as planned by…

aim = hope to do something

although = while

announce = to say something in public or in front of the media

ban = forbid

consequence = result of something that has happened

crack down on = to become more strict about dealing with a problem

currently = now; at the moment

cut down on = reduce

decision = choice you have made after thinking about something

degrade = when a material or substance changes into a simpler form

development = designing and producing something new

domestic = made in your home country

dump = here: throw something away at sea

European Commission = central organisation in the EU that has certain tasks to do

illegal = against the law

item = product

measure = action that should deal with a problem

persuade = to make someone decide to do something and give them reasons for doing it

profitable = to make more money out of something

proposal = plan or suggestion made by a group of people

recycle = to use over and over again

reduce = lower

release = announce; to say something in front of people and the media

shore = coast; where land meets the sea

tax = here: money you must pay to the government if you use or buy something

takeaway packaging = here: the packages that are used to put takeaway food into

According to the American space agency NASA, the world’s ozone layer is slowly recovering. A report states that, for the first time, scientists have observed a decrease in the amount of chlorine in the ozone layer over Antarctica.

Ozone in the atmosphere is essential because it protects life on our planet by absorbing dangerous ultraviolet radiation, which causes skin cancer and damages plant life. Is the 1980s, scientists discovered a hole in the ozone layer, which has become larger ever since. It is especially large over the Antarctic continent and Australia.

Shortly after the discovery, an international agreement, the Montreal Protocol, was signed, banning the use of substances that are responsible for the destruction of the ozone layer. It limits the use of CFCs, chemical compounds that rise into the upper layers of the atmosphere where they are broken down by the sun’s ultraviolet light. In the process, chlorine is released which destroys the ozone molecules.

Since the ban has taken effect major companies have started looking for alternatives to CFCs.

Changes in the ozone level are usually measured during the Antarctic winter, between July and September, when temperatures are lower and results are more accurate. Since 2005, there has been a 20% rise in the amount of ozone. Even though it is the first time that the hole in the ozone layer has become smaller it will take decades to recovercompletely.

Environmentalists around the world have welcomed the announcement, stating that we can actually save the environment by acting decisively.

Largest ozone hole ever recorded over the Antarctic in 2006

Words

absorb = take something in

according to = as reported by …

accurate = exact

act decisively = to do something about a problem

agreement = promise by two or more countries to take action

announcement = official statement

atmosphere = mixture of gases that surrounds a planet

ban = forbid

break down = chemical change

cancer = serious disease in which cells in your body grow in an uncontrolled way

CFCs = chlorofluorocarbons = a gas used in refrigerators and spray cans; they are responsible for the destruction of the ozone layer

chlorine = greenish-yellow gas with a strong smell, that is also used to keep swimming pools clean; it is one of the gases that are responsible for the destruction of the ozone layer

completely = fully

compound = substance containing two or more atoms

decade = ten years

decrease = when something goes down

destruction = when something is damaged completely

discover = find for the first time

environmentalist = person who cares about nature and the world we live in

especially = above all

essential = very important and necessary

even though = true, but other things are true too

limit = control, check

measure = to find out how big something is

molecule = smallest unit made up of two or more atoms

observe = watch closely

protect = to keep something safe

recover = to return to a normal condition

release = set free

responsible = the reason for

scientist= person who is trained in science and works in a lab

sign = put your name on a document

state = say in public

substances = elements; material

take effect = start

ultraviolet radiation= light that comes from the sun but cannot be seen; it makes your skin darker

A recentstudy shows that the world’s coral reefs have been showing signs of strong bleaching due toglobal warming. In the 1980s bleaching was rare, occurring about once every 25 years. Now the rate has risen to about once every five years. Environmentalistspredict that by 2050 bleaching will happen every year or two.

Bleaching is caused when warm water breaks down the algae inside the reefs. They provide food for the corals and keep them healthy. When algae fall off, corals lose their colour and can die within a short period of time. Even if the water surrounding the reefs gets colder again it may take years for the damaged reefs to recover completely.

While bleaching is especially a problem in the waters of the Carribean Sea and Western Atlantic, reefs around Australia and South Africa have hardly been hit. In addition to the warming temperatures of the oceans, coral reefs are also endangered by pollution and overfishing.

Coral reefs are an important ecosystem. They are home to 25% of all marine species and provide a habitat for countless types of fish. Reefs protect coastal regions from flooding and tidal waves. In addition, coral reefs are tourist attractions that lure millions of people every year. The tourist industry around the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, for example, is worth about 5 billion dollars a year.

Healthy coral on the left and bleached coral on the right

Words

billion = a thousand million

bleaching = to make something pale or white; when an object loses its colour

break down = to change its structure

Carribean Sea = sea between North and South America

cause = the reason for something; why something happens

countless = too many to be counted

due to = because of

ecosystem = all the animals and plants in a certain area and the way they live together

endangered = to be in danger

environmentalist = a person who cares about the world around us

especially = above all

global warming = when the temperatures in the atmosphere get higher because of increased amounts of carbon dioxide

habitat = place to live

in addition = also

lure = attract; here: bring people to the area

marine species = animals and plants that live in the oceans

occur = happen

overfishing = when you take too many fish from the sea so that the overall number of fish becomes too low

pollution = when water becomes dirty so that it cannot be used anymore

predict = to say that something will happen in the future

protect = keep safe

provide = give

rare = not very often

recent = a short time ago

recover = to become as healthy as they were before

sign = to show that something is happening

study = a piece of work that is done to find out more about a certain topic

surrounding = around

tidal wave = very large ocean wave that flows over land and destroys things

Chocolate may be in danger of becoming extinct by the middle of this century. Pests and fungal diseases have been found in cacao trees that may endanger the crop’s survival.

In addition, cacao is also under attack by global warming. Trees grow in a very small area about 20° north and south of the equator, where humidity and temperatures are the same all year round. By 2050 rising temperatures and drier weather will push cacao production up into mountainous areas, many of which are home to wild animals.

Scientists from the University of California are trying to save the plant. Together with researchers from the American food company Mars, they are trying to grow cacao seeds that are moreresistantand can grow at higher altitudes.

Most of the world’s cacao production comes from two countries in western Africa, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana. These areas may not be suitable for cacao production in the decades to come. Millions of farmers depend on cacao for a living.

Cacao tree – Image: Luis Ovalles

Words

altitude = how high up something is

cacao = seeds from which chocolate is made

decade = ten years

endanger = to be a threat to something

equator = line around the middle of the earth

extinct = die out; not exist anymore

century = a hundred years

depend on = need

fungal disease= disease caused by a simple plant that has no leaves and grows in the ground or on other plants; mushrooms are a type of fungus

global warming = an increase in the world’s temperatures caused by growing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere

humidity = the amount of water that is in the air

in addition = also

mountainous = in the mountains

pest = a small animal or insect that can destroy crops and plants

researcher = person who studies a topic in order to find out more about it

resistant = here: it cannot be destroyed or damaged

rise = to go up

scientist = person who is trained in science and works in a lab

seed = small hard object from produced by plants, from which a new plant can grow

A new study of satellite images has revealed that our planet is getting brighter and brighter during the night. More and more artificial lighting may cause harm not only to humans and animals but whole ecosystems.

The study has found out that the quantity of light has increased by 2.2 % per year over the last decade. Much of that increase comes from the Middle East and Asia, while in Europe and the USA brightness has stayed about the same. Only a few countries have actually seen a decrease in the amount of light. Among those are Syria and Yemen.

Artificial light on earth is growing because more and more towns and other settlements are being created in places that were once farmland, forests or wilderness. In addition, China and other booming economies are building whole cities in sparsely populated areas.

Even though large areas of land surfaceremain dark, there are places on earth where lights never go out, for example, shopping malls, dining districts or international airports.

The technology of artificial lighting is also changing. More and more LED lights are replacing older light bulbs. They are more energy-efficient and emit a brighter bluish-white light. As they are becoming cheaper people tend to buy more.

Doctors warn that too much artificial light can bear health risks. It can lead to shorter periods of sleep, insomnia and changes in a person’s biorhythm.

Scientists have claimed that increased light have an effect on animal habitats. More light near beaches may affect the turtle population that comes there to lay their eggs. Migrating birds that rely on stars to navigate can be influenced by light and travel off course.

Satellite image of the United States at night

Words

actually = in fact, really

affect = influence, change

artificial light = light that is produced by people or machines, not naturally by the sun

bear = have

biorhythm = changes in the way and speed that your body reacts at certain times

booming economy = country where business is growing very strongly

brightness = being bright

cause harm = be a danger

claim = to say that something is true, even if you cannot prove it

decade = ten years

decrease = to go down

effect = change

emit = send out

energy -efficient = here: an object that produces more light and uses less energy

even though = while

habitat = natural home of a plant or animal

image = picture

in addition = also

increase = to go up

influence = here: to change the way you travel

insomnia = not able to sleep

migrate = to travel regularly to other parts fo the world

navigate = to find out which way you need to go when you travel from one place to another

off course = away from the route you would normally take

quantity = how much of something

rely = depend on, need

remain = stay

replace = to use instead of something else

settlement = group of houses or buildings where people live, especially in areas where nobody has lived before

shopping mall = large area with a lot of shops

sparsely = here: with few people

study = piece of work that is done to find out more about a special subject

surface = the top layer of an object

technology = here: how something is done or produced

tend = here: will probably happen

wilderness = large area of land that has never been developed or farmed

NASAscientists have created a new software program that can show how cities in coastal regions are endangered by flooding and sea level rise caused by global warming. The simulation shows how 300 coastal cities will be affected in the next century.

The software was developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It calculates which ice sheets and glaciers are melting and how the additional water influences coastal regions. It takes into consideration the rotation of the Earth as well as the influence of gravity. The results are surprising. Sea levels will actually decrease around cities closer to ice masses, while the biggest rises will occur through ice caps that are farther away.

New York, for example, will be most affected by melting ice caps in northeastern Greenland. Sydney, on the other hand, will actually be influenced by parts of Antarctica that are far away from Australia’s city.

The software aims at helping city planners prepare for sea level changes within the next few decades and how to keep ocean water out.

A climate report published this week shows that, since 1900, global sea levels have risen by about 20 cm, with half of the rise occurring in the last 25 years. Projections show that by 2100 ocean levels will rise by an average of 1 metre, however, the rise will not affect all coastal areas in the same way.

Ice Sheet in Greenland – Image: Christine Zenino

Words

actually = in fact

additional = extra

affect = change

aim = here: what it wants to do and who it wants to help

average = here: evenly spread out across all oceans

calculate = here: find out how much something will change by using numbers

century = a hundred years

coastal = where land meets the sea

decade = ten years

decrease = go down

develop = create , make

endangered = to be in danger

flooding = when land becomes covered with water

glacier = very large mass of ice which moves down a valley

global = worldwide

global warming = the increase in the world’s temperatures by higher amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

gravity = force or power that causes something to fall to the ground and stay there

Deadly smog has returned to Delhi. Air pollution reached several times the level suggested by the World Health Organisation. People were told to stay indoors and not walk on the streets of the world’s most polluted city. Doctors declared a state of emergency and some schools in the city stayed closed.

Smog in northern India is a big problem, especially during the winter months. From November to March cold temperatures forcepollutants and dirt particles closer to the ground, mixing with the foggy air. Low wind speeds and dust from construction siteshave also contributed to high pollution levels in the area.

Environmentalists say that factories and traffic are the biggest causes of smog. In addition, farmers in northern India burn the leftovers of crops after harvest and therefore produce more smoke.

Critics say that Indian government is not doing enough to protect India’s second-largest city. New measurestook effect last October. Traffic became more regulated and several power plants were shut down. Authorities also want to restrict the personal use of cars to every second day, a measure that already worked in the past.

Last November Delhi was hit by the highest air pollution levels in 20 years, forcing over a million children to stay at home. Researchersclaim that 2.5 million Indians die of pollution every year.

Smog in Delhi – Image: Saurabh Kumar

Words

air pollution = when the air becomes dirty through factories and cars

authorities = official organisation or a government department that has the power to make decisions

cause = reason

claim = to say that something is true

construction sites = places where new houses are built

contribute = to help make something happen

declare = to say something officially, in public

environmentalist = person who cares about nature and the world around us

especially = above all

dust = dry powder made up of small bits of dirt

fog = cloudy air near the ground which is difficult to see through

force = to make something happen

government = the people who rule a country

harvest = when crops are gathered from the fields

in addition = also

leftovers = here: leaves and stems that are left over when crops are harvested

measure = action

particle = very small piece of something

pollutant = substance that makes air and water dirty

power station = building that produces energy and electricity

regulated = controlled

researcher = person who studies a topic closely in order to find out more about it

restrict = limit; control

several = many

shut down = close

smog = a mixture of smoke and fog

state of emergency = when the government gives itself special powers in order to try to get a dangerous situation under control

take effect = when something starts to work

therefore = that is why

World Health Organisation = international organisation that helps countries improve their people’s health by giving medicine and providing information about diseases